Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1887-06-22
Miseeltaneuus &eadimg,
WHO'S OAR !?

a}lisfeltanepas &eading.
WHO'S OAR?
On the evening of the 18th of May,
1864, Gems. Butler and Beauregard
faced each other on the James River
in the neighborhood of Bermuda
Hundred. Buffers headquarters on
that night were in farm house
within nine miles of Richmond, and
he had had the best of the fighting
INDUCED in during the day. The
sun was scarcely down before Beau
regards chief of scouts called six of
US suborninates together for consul
tation, and in half an hour each man
had his work planned for him on the
right of Buffers line, which rested
on the James, or was probably sup
posed to by the commander. Instead
of this, however, as was easily dis
covered from our front before dark,
his line of infantry rested on high
ground long three-quarters of a
mile from the water. What other
troops filed the gap we could not
make out, and it was almost believ-
Fed dthatsomeyfnistake or blunderhad
left gap by which Beauregard could
march in and turn the Federal flank.
The orders issued to the scouts
were to inspect this stretch of ground
and ascertain what troops occupied 1t,
and how they we're situated to meet a
sudden attack. We did not leave
the outposts until 10 o'clock, and by
that time mist was rising from the
river and the low lands to increase
the darkness of the night. We sepa-
rated to take in the whole mile front,
and as we were all dressed in blue each
one went forward in confidence. |
had the uniform of q Federal second
lieutenant, and from prisoners we
had captured that day l knew that
the first troops We should find
in this direction would belong to
Heckman's brigade. I made no ef-
fort whatever at concealment, but
walked straight ahead towards the
Federal lines, and the first saluta-
1 got was:
who's dar? Speak up, or lie
gwine to shoot"
replied in the customary manner
and advanced upon two negro caval-
rymen who were on outpost a few
hundred feet from reserve picket
of dozen men. When challenged
for countersign I advanced as closely
as possible and said:
"Who posted you niggers here :?
You have left your posts, and will
have you shot" -,
"Deed, sab, we's bin right yere all
de time. Heah's de very spot whar'
de ossifer put u.s."
"Well, you come with me. Your
officer shall be tried by court-martial
at once!"
Both men followed me straight to
the Confederate outpost, where they
were taken in, and I then returned
to inspect the reserve. 1 walked
boldly in among the men who were
in charge of a white sergeant, and
angrily demanded:
sergeant, get your men in line
and follow me! The rebels are fall
ing back, and you ought to have
known it half an hour ago !"
He sprang up, saluted me, gave
the order to fall in, and the entire
picket was marched into the Con-
federate lines. At the same time
other scouts arrived with other color
ed prisoners, and, as a matter OF fact
and of.military record, we took over
forty of the Federal pickets out OF
that gap Withouta gun being fired or
an alarm being given. The last
men were taken at half-past II
o'clock, by which time a dense fog
had settled over everything. After
taking in my second batch | Joined
scout named Philbrick, and togeth-
er we fanked a reserve picket and
penetrated almost to the Bermuda
Hundred road. All along in front Of
Weitzel's division we found tele-
graph wires strung from tree to tree
and stump to stump, and we were
provided with files to remove them.
We worked at this a full hour, and
then knowing that the Confederate
advance would be made soon after
midnight, we made our way back
to the lines. On the way we picked
up an orderly sergeant of cavalry
who was drunk and riding about the
country at will. He was bent for
ward on the saddle, clasping his
horses name with both hands, and
the animal was picking its own way
and takingits own time. While my
comrade led the horse 1 held the
sergeant in his saddle, and he kept
muttering to himself:
"Old fell'r, yer drunk-stavin'
drunk! Boys, whazzer think of a
fell'r who gets drunk on 'leckshun
day, eh ."
He wasn't sober enough to realize
the situation when we turned him
over a prisoner, but with maudlin
gravity he held out his hand to the
captain who received him and said: !:
"Shay, Gener'l, gimme two dol
lar md IN lick Misser Bu'gard's hull
army in jess two minits !"-E;r- Con-
tetlerate, IN Detroit Free Press.